Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan
June 1, 2015
Page 14
Figure 3 – Kalama Housing Types
Source: Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division
Prices for single-family houses are higher in Kalama than in most of Cowlitz County.
According to estimates from Zillow, in January of 2015 the average value of a house in Kalama
was $237,000, compared with a county average of $170,000. Values in Kalama have also seen a
stronger recovery from recession-induced declines. Throughout the county values dropped
between 2010 and 2012; by 2014, however, values in Kalama had surpassed those of 2010.
Cowlitz County values did not surpass 2010 levels until early 2015. (See Table 3)
Table 3 – Single-Family House Value Trends
$ thousands
City
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Castle Rock
$191
$189
$182
$175
$187
$198
Kalama
$222
$209
$195
$195
$237
$237
Kelso
$157
$145
$133
$131
$146
$151
Longview
$162
$154
$143
$141
$154
$162
Woodland
$240
$220
$210
$210
$250
$260
Cowlitz County
$170
$164
$151
$149
$164
$170
Source: Zillow
Kalama continues to have a shortage of entry-level housing, such as one- and two-bedroom
apartments, with amenities attractive to young professionals and families.
Employment
The size of the labor force in Cowlitz County has grown and shrunk several times since
1990. According to data from the Washington Employment Security Department, between 1990
and 1999 the number of workers in the county grew from approximately 38,300 to nearly 43,200.
From 2000 through 2006 the number of workers varied between 42,400 and 43,400; from 2006
through 2009 the labor force grew to nearly 44,600, but by 2013 had dropped to 41,500.
The unemployment rate saw three sharp increases between 1990 and 2013, each
corresponding to economic recessions. From a low of 6.7 percent in 1990 the unemployment
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
N
u
m
b
e
r
o
f
U
n
it
s
One Unit Housing Units
Two or More Housing Units
Mobile Home and Special Housing Units
Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan
June 1, 2015
Page 15
rate jumped to 10.2 percent and 10.3 percent in 1992 and 1993, respectively. Over the next
several years the unemployment rate dropped, and then remained in the 6.3 percent to 7.7
percent range from 1997 through 2000. (See Figure 4)
During the recession that began in 2001 the unemployment rate in Cowlitz County jumped
to 9.4 percent, and then remained above 10.0 percent in 2002 and 2003 before dropping. By 2007
the rate had fallen all the way back to 6.3%, but the most recent recession hit harder than the
previous two. The unemployment rate shot back up to 13.4 percent in 2009 and remained above
13.0 percent in 2010. The rate fell in each succeeding year, but remained above 10.0 percent in
2013. (Unemployment data is not available for cities with population less than 25,000).
Figure 4 – Employment Trends in Cowlitz County
Source: Washington Employment Security Department
The distribution of jobs throughout the State, as well as the country, has been evolving
from manufacturing to trade and services. This shift is also occurring in Cowlitz County. As
illustrated in Figure 5, the service sector in Cowlitz County now accounts for almost twice as
many jobs as manufacturing. The number of manufacturing jobs in Cowlitz County dropped
from 7,200 in 2005 to fewer than 6,000 in 2010, but rose back to 6,300 in 2014. Employment in
services grew from 11,800 in 2005 to nearly 12,200 in 2014. Government employment remained
essentially flat from 2005 through 2014, with approximately 5,600 jobs, while employment in
retail trade fell from approximately 4,500 jobs in 2005 to 4,300 jobs in both 2010 and 2014.
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
Unemp
loy
ment
Rate
Num
ber of
Workers
Unemployed
Employed
Unemp. Rate
Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan
June 1, 2015
Page 16
Figure 5 – Cowlitz County Employment Comparison
Source: Washington Employment Security Department
Employment in Manufacturing
Employment in the manufacturing sector in Cowlitz County has always been dominated by
the forest products industry and this is still the case, despite an overall decline in manufacturing
employment. Two sectors in particular, “Paper and Allied Products” and “Lumber and Wood
Products”, have historically accounted for most manufacturing jobs in the county: in 2005, the
two forest products sectors provided 58 percent of the approximately 7,200 manufacturing jobs
in the county, but this share dropped to 50 percent in 2010 and to 49 percent in 2014. (See
Table 4)
Table 4 – Manufacturing Employment in Cowlitz County
Average Employment
Share of Total
Industry
2005
2010
2014
2005
2010
2014
Paper
2,933
2,093
2,175
41%
35%
34%
Wood products
1,275
904
918
18%
15%
15%
Machinery
404
305
495
6%
5%
8%
Fabricated metal products
241
234
326
3%
4%
5%
Chemicals
191
196
251
3%
3%
4%
Nonmetallic mineral products
104
185
194
1%
3%
3%
Furniture and related products
101
173
115
1%
3%
2%
Plastics and rubber products
--
87
89
--
1%
1%
Printing and related activities
80
56
28
1%
1%
0%
Other
1,876
1,716
1,736
26%
29%
27%
Total
7,205
5,949
6,327
100%
100%
100%
Source: BST Associates, WA State Employment Security Dept
The drop in total manufacturing employment is due primarily to the drop in the forest
products manufacturing sectors. All manufacturing jobs experienced a net loss of fewer than
900, while the forest products sector alone lost 1,100 jobs. This means that manufacturing
sectors other than forest products actually saw an increase in jobs between 2005 and 2014.
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
Ag., Forestry, Fishing
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Transp. & Public Utilities
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
FIRE
Services
Government
Covered Employment
2014
2010
2005
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